Donovan Mitchell collected 34 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, and Darius Garland scored 19 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the visiting Phoenix Suns 129-113 on Wednesday afternoon.
Evan Mobley posted 16 points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots, and Jarrett Allen had 16 points and 11 rebounds for Cleveland, which won its second straight and improved to 12-8 at home. Jaylon Tyson added 18 points off the bench.
Devin Booker scored 19 of his 32 points in the third quarter, and Dillon Brooks had 20 points for the Suns, who had their four-game winning streak snapped. Phoenix finished a four-game road trip with a 3-1 record but never led after the first quarter.
Booker caught fire in the third with 17 points in the first six minutes to slice Cleveland’s lead to 84-79. Jordan Goodwin, who had four points and 15 rebounds, later made a pair of free throws to bring the Suns within 91-89.
Cleveland immediately slammed the door with a 34-12 run, capped by Mitchell’s two free throws with 3:41 remaining that gave the Cavaliers their largest advantage at 125-101. Mitchell fell three assists shy of his first professional triple-double.
Jamaree Bouyea scored 18 points and Collin Gillespie had 17 points for the Suns.
The Cavaliers used a 19-2 run in the first, fueled by two Sam Merrill 3-pointers in 30 seconds, in building a 19-point advantage. Mitchell had 10 points and five rebounds, while Brooks had eight points for Phoenix.
An Allen bucket early in the second extended Cleveland’s lead to 46-26, but Brooks had 12 points in the period to pull the Suns within 67-54 at intermission. Mitchell had 21 points in 16 minutes in the opening half.
The Cavaliers returned home after a 1-2 road trip that ended with a 113-101 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday. Mitchell scored a season-low 10 points.
Small forward De’Andre Hunter was a late scratch with an illness that has been working its way through Cleveland’s roster.
Suns shooting guard Grayson Allen missed his seventh game in a row with right knee soreness, but coach Jordan Ott said he is on the verge of returning.
–Field Level Media
